


Never Letting Go

by MagpieMorality



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - School, Gen, Implied Bullying, Kid Sides, Without bad intentions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:24:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22800184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagpieMorality/pseuds/MagpieMorality
Summary: Life is a nightmare when you're just a kid, but get a friend and you'll never walk alone.
Relationships: Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit Sanders
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	Never Letting Go

Diego is the one to notice he’s missing.

They’d been playing out in the forest at the bottom of the twins’ garden most of the day, and are now finally too hungry to stay out any longer- they’ve barely eaten since breakfast thanks to their attempt at a grand feast at lunchtime resulting in losing half of their self-packed picnic to the ground in a wasp-related incident only a moment after it was all nicely laid out.

The whole group is sleepy and quiet on the walk back, so it’s not hard to miss one vanished body among them. It’s just luck really, that Diego has to stop at the garden gate to get a stone out of his sneaker, realising slowly that there are only four heads in front of him when he straightens back up; and none behind.

He doesn’t bother to tell the fabulous foursome he’s going searching because they’re nearly at the door and the twins’ mama is setting them to work in the kitchen already. Instead he lopes off back the way they’d come, following the path as the sun starts to dip down low. It’s a little eerie in the forest now- all alone and gloomy- but he tells himself that Remus would just call it cool and laugh in the face of fear. He tries it- laughing- but the weak giggle that comes out is a bit pathetic, and he’s nearly there anyway so he just hurries up his pace a bit.

In the end Diego nearly trips over his friend. Remus is sat in the centre of their campground holding his knees tightly to his chest and making a suspicious sniffling sound that makes Diego’s insides feel totally _horrible_.

He reaches out to shake Remus gently by the shoulder, and when his friend shrugs him off and turns his face away he knows something is really off.

“Rem?” He asks quietly. “What’s wrong, don’t you wanna go home for dinner? Aren’t you hungry?” _Please let it be that._

Remus accidentally rubs dirt over his face as he tries to wipe the tears off his cheeks, but he doesn’t seem to care very much. “I’m not _going_ home, Dee. I think I’m going to run away. Or maybe just stay here forever…” He sniffs and rubs again, making the mess worse. “He was _nice_ to me here,” he cries out, face scrunching up as he glares at Diego in defiance and anguish. “He _was_ , I definitely didn’t imagine it! It was for at _least_ an hour or so but I didn’t count the time but I _should’ve_ counted because what if he’s _never_ nice to me ever again _ever_?!”

Diego doesn’t think before wrapping his arms around Remus with all the force he has in his body as the other boy shakes apart messily, and the begins the gradual process of pulling himself back together. His breathing evens out last of all but Diego doesn’t let go even then and they sit in the cold and the dark together without a word for several long minutes. They’d long ago discovered the power of hugs freely given and promised to share that power frequently with one another. It helped with so many things.

Actually, Diego thought, it had been a really nice day. They’d all laughed and played together as a full group for once, building their fort and campsite with branches and twine, just having fun the way they used to. Even the wasp thing had been hilarious, in hindsight. He can guess when it all went wrong for Remus though.

_“Are we gonna play castle tomorrow in the fort?!” Patton asked hopefully._

_Roman scoffed. “Of course! We’ll defend it from the evil monster- that’s Remus of course- and his minion Diego, when they try and kidnap the goodies!”_

Diego personally hadn’t minded being cast as the bad guy again, not when his mind was buzzing with the thrill of planning and pulling of a new grand heist with his best friend, but he’d got lost in thought about it as the others bickered about who had to be kidnapped this time, instead of saying anything to Remus directly. Was that when he’d left?

As he hugs Remus silently, Diego thinks he should say something. He _should-_ he knows- but he just… _can’t_. Remus is a sharer, anyway, when he needs to or wants to be. And sometimes also when he _doesn’t_ want or need to, but he can’t help those times and Diego has never minded them like everyone else does.

When they get back to the house, arm in arm after Diego had helped his friend to his feet and guided him home while they clung to each other, Remus stops him and pulls him in for a fierce squeeze. He steps back, graces his best friend with a small grin, and dashes inside into the fray with a yell like nothing ever happened.

Deceit is perfectly content to do the same, as always.


End file.
